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The younger officer raised his brow at the man in reprimand, and the officer shook his head before giving me a sad smile. “I saw what the bastard did to this man, Al. He deserves more than a fucking broken nose,” the older office—Officer Whitby, I suddenly remembered—said, glaring at Marcus.
I sank back into Scott as I remembered exactly why the man had seemed so familiar. He was the one who’d worked on my case before, the man who had come to the hospital to interview me. Those days were pretty hazy in my mind, full of pain and people wanting to talk to me.
Officer Whitby gave me a nod as he saw the realization on my face, but didn’t say anything about it. Instead, he asked us to give our statements of what had happened so we could be done with this whole incident.
Once I’d told them everything, they wished us a goodnight and headed out the door. Just before they left, Officer Whitby turned around and gave me a smile. “I’m glad you found your happiness, kid. Stay safe.”
After they were gone, Scott pulled me over to the couch in the living room. He lay down on the couch before pulling me down so I was lying on top of him, my cheek pressed against his heart and my arms around his waist. I let the steady beats of his heart calm me as he ran his fingers through my hair, knowing just what I needed like always.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.”
“That punch was fucking awesome, by the way.”
I chuckled, tucking my chin against his chest and looking up at him. “Self Defense 101.”
Scott’s smile fell just slightly, and he tightened his arm around my back but didn’t say anything.
“I’m feeling good, Scott. Really. Seeing him, I finally realized he won’t ever be able to hurt me again. Not just because I now have people who care about me,have you, but also because I’m a stronger person now. The naive teenager who fell into his trap isn’t here anymore.”
Scott smiled at me again, widely this time, as he pulled his fingers out of my hair and caressed my cheek instead. “You’re so beautiful, so strong, and I’m so fucking proud of you, love.”
Until recently, I wouldn’t have believed his words. I’d known he meant them, thathebelieved those words, but I hadn’t believed them. But now, I did. I knew I was strong, and I knew I was beautiful. I’d always been that, but Marcus had made me forget that. His words, his cruelty, they’d led me to believe I was weak and damaged.
But then Scott had come into my life, and with his soft smile and gentle hands, he’d reminded me of all those things about myself that I’d forgotten. He reminded me every day that I was beautiful. He made me realize that though my past had broken me, it had also made me stronger.
Leaning up on my elbows, I crawled forward until my face was hovering over his, our lips barely a breath apart. “I love you,” I whispered against his lips before leaning down and kissing him, letting all my gratitude and love pour into the kiss. This was love. This was safety. This was home.Scottwas home.
32
Scott
Afterahalf-heartedlyeatendinner, as we cuddled in bed, I held Luke tightly against my chest. I knew he was feeling better, and I was glad for it. Honestly, out of the two of us, he’d taken the bastard’s visit far better than I had.
I’d tried to stay calm when Luke had called me, but the whole drive home, all I could think was that I couldn’t lose Luke. And now, even though I knew he was safe, the fear was still there. I looked down at his sleeping face, his hair spread out on the pillow behind him, his face half-smooshed against my chest, and tried to tell myself he wouldn’t be going anywhere. My insomnia had gotten so much better recently. Apparently, cuddles helped me sleep just as much as they helped Luke. But I knew it for a fact that I wouldn’t be getting any sleep today.
I ran my fingers through Luke’s hair in an attempt to calm myself, but I knew it was pointless. My mind was filled with the what-ifs. What if Luke hadn’t had the chance to call me? What if Marcus had managed to hurt him or take him away again?
I squeezed my eyes shut but snapped them open when the panic started creeping up at not being able to see Luke. I wasn’t sure why this was hitting me so hard. Was it because I’d already lost so many people I loved that even the thought of anything happening to Luke was unacceptable? Or because I loved Luke so much I couldn’t imagine life without him? A bit of both.
I took a shuddering breath and smiled when Tressa hopped up on the bed and settled on my chest, giving my chin a comforting lick. If I hadn’t been barely holding on to my calm, I’d have teased Luke about caring more about the cat’s well-being than his own when I saw her in the bathroom with him, but I knew how much he loved Tressa. There was no way he’d have left her alone like that.
The way Luke had faced Marcus and given him that broken nose had made me feel so proud of him. He’d come so far from the man who’d shown up on my doorstep looking for a room to rent almost a year ago. Even then, he’d been the most beautiful guy I’d ever come across, but he’d had a shadow on his face, a darkness in his eyes that was now all but gone. Now, he was bright and cheerful, there was a sparkle in his eyes, a skip in his step, and a lightness in his whole being.
I was so proud of the progress he’d made, and I was grateful to have found him. I pulled him closer to me, burying my face in his hair and breathing in the familiar strawberry scent. At that moment, I swore to myself that I’d never let him go.
I woke up with a start and squinted against the bright light streaming through the window. I looked around the room, and, finding it empty, I shot up in bed, searching for Luke. The panic from yesterday crashed into me again, even as a small, rational part of my brain tried to tell me Luke was probably somewhere in the house.
“Luke?” I called out as I scrambled off the bed, my feet tangling in the sheets and almost making me crash to the floor. As I was rushing to the door, Luke stepped out of the bathroom, his wet hair hanging down his back and a robe wrapped around his body.
“What’s wrong?” he asked, probably picking up on the anxiety that I was sure I couldn’t hide. I walked over to him and pulled him into a hug without a word, burying my face in the crook of his neck. This was something Luke did a lot with me, and I realized now why he did so. The minty scent of his body wash and his own scent enveloped me and calmed my frayed nerves better than anything else could have. I breathed in deeply as my heart rate slowly got back to normal. With a sigh, I pulled back from the hug and gave Luke a somewhat sheepish smile, though I knew it wasn’t a real smile, and from the look on his face, Luke knew it too.
“You okay?” Luke asked as he placed his palm on my cheek. I debated for a second whether I should lie and say yes, but wasn't I always the one who told Luke to always talk to me? Wouldn’t it be hypocritical of me if I stayed quiet?
I shook my head with a heavy sigh before pulling him to the bed with me. He came willingly, and once we were seated, he nudged me closer until I was somehow lying on my back with my head in his lap with no idea how I got there. He ran his fingers through my much shorter hair, scratching my scalp with his blunt nails, and I closed my eyes and enjoyed the feeling as I gathered my thoughts.
“Yesterday, when you called…I tried to stay calm, but inside, I was freaking out. Even as I talked to you and the cops, all I could think of was that I'd almost lost you.” My voice faltered, and Luke squeezed my fingers comfortingly and waited for me to speak again.
